The Boxer

by Kathleen Karr

Hard-hitting historical fiction

Ever since his father ran off two years before, fifteen-year-old Johnny Woods has struggled to help support his ma and five siblings, sacrificing his own schooling in the process. Still, there's been hardly enough money each month to make the rent, and Johnny's dream of a house in Brooklyn, away from the tenement slums, is out of reach.

Then Johnny discovers boxing. He is a natural-born fighter, with street smarts, determination, and an explosive uppercut. Although boxing is illegal in 1885 New York, Johnny powers his way through every obstacle, believing he has found the means to raise himself and his family out of poverty. But as he moves closer to his biggest fight yet, Johnny must reconcile his need to help his loved ones with a sharpening desire to achieve something outside the ring, starting with his education. In bringing to life Johnny's struggle and ultimate success, Kathleen Karr offers readers a compelling portrait of an appealing young champion.

Genres: Sports, Historical Fiction, Young Adult, Middle Grade, Fiction

144 pages, Hardcover

First published October 18, 2000

About the author

Kathleen Karr was born in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and grew up on a chicken farm in Dorothy, New Jersey. After escaping to college, she worked in the film industry, and also taught in high school and college. She seriously began writing fiction on a dare from her husband. After honing her skills in women’s fiction, her children asked her to write a book for them, (It Ain’t Always Easy, Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1990), and she discovered she loved writing for young readers.

Reviews

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars.

Read this for an eighth grade Book Talk I'll be leading next week. I have to say I really enjoyed it.

[JavairusR · Rating 5 out of 5]

i enjoyed reading this book because it is a realistic story about boxing

[Russell McQueen · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was good.

[Zombieslayer⚡Alienhunter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this when I was 13.
Another winner of the 'coveted' (be honest, do you know what it is?) Sequoyah booklist award, The Boxer is one hell of a story.
Fifteen-year-old Johnny Woods is struggling to support his mother and siblings, filled with rage towards his absentee' father, and just looking for a break.
Though boxing is illegal in 1885 New York City, Johnny steps into the LPR (London Prize Ring) fighting scene at a bar in order to win the fifty-dollar purse.
This just so happens to be the night the police raid the bar in an effort to crack down on illegal fist-fighting, resulting in Johnny being arrested and sentenced to six months in state prison.
There, Johnny meets Mike O'Shaunnessey, college professor, philosopher, boxer.

The Boxer isn't just about fighting. It's about survival in a crucial point in American history, late-1880's New York. Kathleen Karr's message isn't to fight for blood; it's to fight for yourself.
Never take jack from anybody, depend on yourself and be tough.
As a boxer in training, I know the philosophy well.
When you get knocked down in the ring, you get up. You keep fighting. When you get knocked down in life, you get up. You keep fighting.
The Boxer is not only a story about the sport, there's some historical merit, too.
Mike details the differences between London Prize Ring fist-fighting and true Queensbury boxing, an honest-to-God sport.
Other reviewers compared The Boxer to Rocky.
This is not Rocky.
This is Raging Bull. This is what happens when you let the beast take you.

This is a fairly short book with flowing story, I strongly recommend for reluctant readers- especially boys.

[Bryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jab jab right hand i hit the book The boxer how intresting book I read. This novel The Boxer made me remined me of a other book I read The boxer and The spy. The book The boxer was a great book but it was just to long for me I am more into small book but this time i challanged my self.What make this boook unique is it show how life in history stuggled to find a job and get money these people in the past use to do anything to get money for ther family. The main charater in this story is Jonhy he is a young boy that sturgles to get money he use to work in a sweatshop but they pay to little he need more to take care of his mother and brothers and sister.Another character is brodie he a person tht own this place where he has cock fight any kind of fights. One day johny was walking home and saw a sigh at brodies gym saying help wanted he didint want to walk in but the sigh caught him by say we pay five dollor per fight so he walk in and ask brodie for a fight he fought wile he was fight cops came in and arrested him this is a major event in the book The boxer.The hook that caught me in this book was the title I wanted to read it beacuse im a boxer and i enjoy reading about boxers life cause pretty much every boxer has a difcult life. One special scene i liked about this book is that everyone in his tenment johny help them get curce because they had a sickness that was spreading and johny help them by giving them soup. Hit this book like you would hit a gym bag it really intresting life johny has.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

If your the type of person who enjoys fighting or success or even how a family who lives in the worst conditions and become successful then this book is good for you. The Boxer is based on a young teen named johnny and how he takes his family out of the worst condition in the tenements. johnny and his 3 siblings and his hardworking tired mother live in the worst conditions in the tenements. johnny had to drop out of school and work in the sweatshop to support his fatherless family. One day after work he seen an ad saying 5 dollars per fight in the brodys saloon. therefore,knowing the fact that the sweats don't pay enough he went and began to fight. His first fight led him to jail and had to 6 months in jail. in prison he met the man who trains him to become successful throughout the novel. His name is O'Shaunnessey. throughout the book, it shows how Johnny supports his family needs and becomes a man. I really enjoyed this book because i enjoy boxing and how he can support his family and make it big.

[Francisco A · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story of survival and life, the boxer is truly an amazing journey. I've been reading this book for a while and it's just full of action and is intense. John Aloysius Xavier Wodds, this young kid who is the man of the house with no father figure has to take care of his mother and little brother and sisters. So he gets a chance to make it out of the tenements in New York, and the way he does it by boxing. Things get out of hand, but with the help of Professor Mike O'Shaunnessey that he met in the tombs, it's the battle of the fittest. Still reading, and chapter by chapter I feel the ambition of this young kid, wondering if he's going to make it. In a way I see a mirror in this book reflecting my conscience on making my next step. For those who love an inspirational book to lead the way then the boxer is for you.

[Tyler · Rating 5 out of 5]

i really enjoyed reading this book this year.i read it about 3 or 4 months ago, so i dont really remember much. i do know that i read it and liked it. in the the book it shows that anything can happen because, in the book they are a low income family and they have 3 or 4 kids and the mom works at home working on a sewing machine and the main character starts out fighting at saloons, and he gets sent to jail and he meets a trainer in there and he trains while he is in there and when he gets out hes a good boxer and he gets noticed by other fighters and makes a carear out if it and makes good money and they move into a better home.

[Cameron-707]

i think that in this book johnny tried really hard to support his family and in the end he got a good house and was very successful. he did whatever he had to do to keep food on the table for 5 kids an his mother, and he went to school so when he got older he could do something besides boxing. from this book i learned that what ever you have to do to get something, you should try and if you work hard enough you will get it.

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

this book has alot of action in it.
this book is about a guy and he gets put in jail for fighting.
when he's in jail he learns how to box form this other guy teaching him how to.
he was in jail for about a year or two.

[Myles_123 Holland · Rating 3 out of 5]

So, i was at the libary and i noticed this book. I picked it up thinking it will be intresting and so far its very cool! From what it looks like i can tell it's about some guy trying to be a boxer. Something like Rocky i guess. Either way it looks like a very intresting book to read!

[Tasha]

i have read this book i really wasnt listing when reading it now i have a project to do over every chapter and i dont know what to do .. i have learend to listing when someone is reading..

[Nicolus Kocon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is actually the first non-fiction book that i've read. And it was heart-thrilling.

[Ptcdcs · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh

[Niu · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first read this book 3 years ago, when I was 13 and browsing the library. I picked it up and reread today. To this date, it remains one of the best books I have ever read.

[Sandra Porter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Graphic novel that is graphic. Does not hide any of the cruelty of the concentration camps. The horrors that one man endures and finally reveals to his son.

[Erin Sterling · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent graphic novel about the boxer Harry Haft who survived the Holocaust by becoming a boxer. Powerful story, incredible art, and an engaging read.

[Nolan Mosby · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this book was pretty good. I read it at first because I thought it was corny. But it suprised me. So yeah.... I guess... um.... Yep. Ok im done

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another one that I liked much more than I thought I would.